Stroke remains an increasing worldwide cause of disability and mortality, and it is the second leading cause of death in industrialized countries. 1 Patients with atrial fibrillation form a unique group with increased risk of cardioembolic stroke.Despite the widespread application of the National Institutes of Health stroke scale and guidelines, 2,3 patients with atrial fibrillation represent a clinically challenging group that deserves a special approach during the acute stroke phase.The mechanism of stroke in these patients is either cardioembolic [especially with an international normalized ratio (